Floor processing device



1950 E. A. DETWEILER 2,523,370

FLOOR PROCESSING DEVICE Filed April 4, 1945 40 INVENTOR.

, 5710s .v ei'wez'ler r BY a Patented Nov. 7, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FLOOR PROCESSING DEVICE Enos A. Detweiler, Chicago, Ill.

Application April 4, 1945, Serial No. 586,561

7 Claims. 1

My invention relates to power-driven floor processing devices for performing such operations as scrubbing, abrading, polishing and waxing floors.

Devices of this character may be divided into two general types, namely, what may be termed the cylindrical type in which a cylindrical processing member rotates with its axis horizontal for peripheral contact with the floor surface and what may be termed the disc-type having a polishing face that rotates on a vertical axis. One object in the preferred practice of my invention is to provide a combined type of floor processing device affording a new flexibility in that, at the choice of the user, it may be operated strictly as a cylindrical processor, or operate strictly as a disc polisher, or may function with both cylindrical and disc surfaces in frictional operation simultaneously. This object is accomplished by employing a cylindrical processing member with a flat end, both the periphery and the end of the member being adapted for processing surfaces.

With reference to disc-type operation, an important object of my invention is to minimize the possibility of such a device with a single disc face getting out of control and causing accidents. A floor processing device with two disc members rotating in opposite directions in a well-known manner does not present this problem because the forces engendered by the two discs neutralize each other. The use of a single disc member, however, involves two hazards which may be the cause of accidents, especially when such a single disc device is operated by an inexpert user.

One of these hazards is the tendency of the normally non-rotating portion of the device to rotate in reaction to the frictional contact between the rotating disc and the floor. Thus, there is a strong tendency for the handle on such a device to rotate about the axis of the rotating disc. If the power means that actuates the disc is suddenly energized while the handle is free from the users grasp, the handle will whip around with formidable force. Such action may occur, for example, when the user initially plugs the device into a house circuit for operation.

The second hazard occurs whenever a moment is applied that tilts the disc member out of its normal upright position of uniform contact with the floor. .Such tilting causes the rotating disc to have a strong traction effect that results in sudden travel across the floor. If the operator is inexperienced or is caught off guard byrinstructure.

advertent tilting of the disc face, such bodily movement of the device may cause damage or injury.

This object of making the device safe for even the inexperienced user is attained by certain provisions, one of which is a manual control on the handle that prevents the disc member from being energized when the handle is not in the users grasp. Another provision is a flexible joint for the handle whereby the handle may be rocked through a range of angles without transmitting a tilting component of force to the rotary member. such a flexible joint relative to the center of gravity of such a device as will be explained later.

Further objects of the invention are directed to the problem of making a single device readily adaptable either to polishing by cylindrical peripheral contact or to polishing by disc contact, special emphasis being placed on simplicity of In this regard, one feature of the invention is the provision of a handle for such a combined device that may be shifted from one position of adjustment to another to convert the device from disc operation to cylindrical operation, and vice versa. Another feature is the provision of releasable means for immobilizing the flexible joint of the handle when the device is used for cylindrical operation. In the preferred practice of my invention, a further feature is the provision of automatic means to immobilize the flexible joint in response tothe change in adjustment of the handle from the position for disc operation to the position for cylindrical operation, and vice versa.

The above and other objects'and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the following description of the preferred form of the invention taken with the accompanying drawmgs.

In the drawings, which are to be regarded as merely illustrative;

Figure l is a diagrammatic view on a small scale showing the device adapted for disc operation, I

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the device adapted for cylindrical operation,

Figure 3 is a view partl in section and partly in side elevation of the device ready for disc operation,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of a portion of the handle in Figure 3,

Another provision involves the location of Figure 6 is a transverse section through handle along the line 6-6 of Figure 4.

Figures 1 and 2 indicate the manner in which the device is adaptable for the two modes of operation in processing a floor surface S. A cylindrical processing member, generally designated ID, has a cylindrical periphery II and a flat or disc end I2, both of which are adapted in some suitable manner for processing surfaces. The periphery H and the flat end [2 may at various times be provided, for example, with coverings of sandpaper, steel wool, bristles, sheepskin, cloth and the like.

In Figure 1 showing the device in use for disc operation, a handle generally designated I3 is positioned at an angle convenient for the user in maneuvering the rotating cylindrical member across the floor surface. To convert the device to cylindrical operation, it is merely necessary to adjust the handle l3 to the second angular position shown in broken lines in Figure l, a feature of the invention being that the transition from one mode of operation to another may be accomplished by the simple chang in angle of the handle I 3.

The cylindrical processing member ID is part of what may be termed a rotary assembly, which rotary assembly is mounted on what may be termed a stator assembly, the handle l3 being attached to the stator assembly. While the combination of rotary assembly and stator assembly may take various forms in various practices of the invention, I prefer the form shown in the present drawings in which the stator assembly is enclosed by the cylindrical member H).

In the present construction the cylindrical member [0 comprises a cup-shaped core IS on which may be mounted similarly-shaped interchangeable processing elements of such materials as heretofore mentioned. The particular processing element shown in Figure 1 is a cupshaped bush IS, the bristles of which are embeddedin a cup-shaped inner wall I1. It will be noted that the profile in longitudinal cross-section of the processing element, as shown in Fig. 3, is of rectangular configuration with the lower corners filled in to form right angles. The lower corners are filled in by diagonal bristles, there being a gradual transition in the direction of the bristles from horizontal direction for the bristles on the cylindrical portion of the processing element to vertical direction for the bristles on the end face of the element. The brush I6 telescopes over the core l and may be releasably secured thereon by suitable screws 18.

Since for power operation the rotary assembly and the stator assembly are to be related as the rotor and stator of a suitable slow speed motor, the rotary assembly includes a rotor coil and suitable armature brushes 2| mounted on the inner surface of the cup-shaped core l5. In the particular construction shown, an outer bearing ring 22, the rotor coil 20; a second outer bearing ring 23 and mountings 25 for the brushes 2| are all in abutment and held in place between the end wall 26 of the core and a suitable retaining ring 2! in threaded engagement with the core.

The two outer bearingrings 22 and 23 are parts of two ball bearings that include corresponding inner bearing'ring 28 and 29, respectively, which inner bearing rings are mounted on a stator coil 30 of the stator assembly. The stator assembly also includes a stator member 32 which carries a commutator 33 for cooperation with the armature brushes 2!.

the

Preferably the handle i3 is of bent configuration forming an angle with a long leg 35 and a short leg 36. The two legs of the handle are interconnected by a pivoted joint 3! to permit the long leg to be adjusted to at least the two extreme positions in the range of movement represented by the two handle positions shown in Figure 1.

The long leg 35 of the handle is provided with a suitable hand grip '38. An electric cable 40 enters the hand grip and passes down the handle for energizing the described motor. In my preferred construction, the hand grip 38 includes a control means in the form of a normally open switch having an operating lever spring-pressed outward. Only when the lever 5! is depressed by the users grip is the motor circuit closed.

The long leg 35 of the handle is of tubular construction and has integral therewith a cam means 42 placed at the pivoted joint 3'! to cooperate with a follower in the form of a pin A3 for a purpose to be explained later. Such a cam means may comprise two plates on opposite sides of the pivoted joint, each plate forming a cam rise 45 and a latching recess 46.

Inside the tubular wall'of the handle is a latching plunger 41 for maintaining the long leg of the handle at selected angles, the latching plunger being adapted to releasabl engage notches 48 in a flange 50 that is integral with the shorter handle leg 36 and is concentric to the axis of the pivoted joint 31. A suitable helical spring 51 surrounding the latching plunger '4! acts between a collar 52 on the plunger and a. fixed ring 53 to continuously urge the plunger toward the notched flange 50. The collar 52 and a second collar '54 cooperate with the surrounding wall of the handle to guide the plunger. For manual release, the latching plunger 51 may be provided with a pin 55 extending laterally through a slot 56 in the tubular handle wall, the pin carrying a suitable button 51 for convenient thumb operation.

The shorter leg 35 of the handle preferably normally extends approximately along the axis of the cylindrical processing member as indicated in Figure 3. The open end of the cylindrical processing member In may be closed by suitable "means as a safety precaution. For example, I may employ a flexible diaphragm '58 of sheet rubber or other suitably flexible material. The periphery of the diaphragm 58 lies in a groove 60 on the interior of the core I5 of the cylindrical processing member 10 and is releasably held therein by the expansile act-ion of an enclosed spring wire 6|. The central portion of-the diaphragm 58 is united with a collar 62 that loosely embraces the short leg 36 of the handle for rotation relative thereto, the collar resting on a radial flange 63 integral with the handle. The diaphragm 58 is preferably of corrugated construction, as indicated, and is sufliciently flexible to permit a wide range of oscillation on the part of the handle without causing such tensioning of the diaphragm as would transmit force from the handle to the cylindrical member.

As heretofore noted, the handle I3 is preferably connected to the stator assembly by a flexible joint and it is contemplated that such a flexible joint will permit at least a degree of universal relative movement. For this purpose, the inner end of the short handle leg 36 has integral therewith a joint member in the form of a ball 65 and the stator member 32- forms a complementary socket 66 in which the ball slidingly fits. Since rotary movement between the handle 13 and the stator member 32 must be limited to prevent actuation of the stator assembly rather than actuation of the rotary assembly, the ball 65 is formed with a diametrical bore 6'! through which extends a pin 68 having its ends anchored in the surrounding stator member 32. The bore 61 is tapered inwardly from both ends, as indicated in Figure 5, in such manner as to permit a liberal range of universal oscillation on the part of the ball relative to the pin.

Flexibility in the connection between the handle I3 and the stator member 32 is neither necessary nor desirable when the handle is in the dotted position of Figure 1 for cylindrical operation of the device in the position shown in Figure 2. I therefore, provide means for releasably looking or immobilizing the flexible joint when desired. A suitable expedient for this purpose is a collar 10 slidingly mounted on the shorter leg 36 of the handle to move into and out of rigid seating in an upwardly presented recess 'H in the stator member 32. Preferably the rim of the recess 'H is rounded as indicated at 12 and the leading end of the collar 10 is beveled as indicated at 13 to facilitate entrance of the collar.

The locking collar 10 may be rele-asably held in its upper retracted position by suitable means and lowered manually when desired. A feature of the present construction, however, is provision for automatic lowering of the collar 10 in response to movement of the handle I3 from the solid line position in Fig. 1 to the broken line position. To this end, as shown in Figure 4, the collar 10 is mounted on a plunger 15 inside the shorter leg of the handle by means of a diametrical pin 16, the tubular wall of the handle being provided with suitable slots 11 to permit the desired range of movement for the pin. The upper end of the plunger 15 carries the previously-mentioned pin 43 for cooperation with the cam means 42, the pin 43 extending through suitable slots '53 in the tubular Wall of the handle. For the purpose of continuously urging the upper pin 43 against the cam means 42 and thereby urging the collar 62 toward its retracted position, a suitable helical spring 80 may be mounted in the lower end of the handle, as shown in Figure 4, to press upward against the lower end of the plunger 15.

The cable 40 for energizing th motor has a short exposed portion 8| near the hand grip 38 and then enters the interior of the longer leg of the handle to emerge near the pivoted joint 31. The cable forms a loop 82 around the pivoted joint to enter the shorter handle leg 36 above the diaphragm 58 and emerge below the diaphragm. To make room for the cable in the shorter handle leg, the plunger 75 may be cut away as indicated at 83 in Figures 4 and 6.

The operation of the device will be readily understood from the foregoing description. When the device is adjusted for disc operation, as shown in Figures 1 and 3, the cylindrical member ID is energized whenever the operator manually depresses the switch lever 41 on the hand grip. All of the force for maneuvering the rotating cylindrical member ID from one position to another on the floor is transmitted from the handle I3 to the stator assembly through the ball 65. The ball 65, together with the handle I3 united there with, may pivot freely over a considerable range on the pin 68 and may also oscillate in a universal manner in a limited range of movement concentrio with the pin. The tendency of the stator assembly to rotate in reaction to the rotation of the cylindrical processing member ID normally causes the ball 65 to seek a limit position in the range of oscillation but the limit position is maintained in a yielding manner. The advantage of such a joint is that only reasonable care on the part of the operator is required to keep the handle within its range of free movement thereby to prevent tilting of the cylindrical member I0 by angular movement of the handle.

An important advantage of the general arrangement shown in Figure 5 is that it permits the flexible joint between the handle and the stator assembly to be relatively low, preferably at least as low as the center of gravity of the combined rotary and stator assemblies. By placing the flexible joint at approximately the level of the center of gravity, I eliminate any tilting moment that might arise from inertia of the combined assemblies.

The frictional resistance of the rotating cylindrical member If] to translation across the floor may also cause a tilting moment, since such resistance is effective at a lower level than the flexible joint. If, however, the flexible joint is slightly below the center of gravity, any inertia moment incidental to acceleration in the travel of the device is opposed by the moment arising from floor friction. I prefer, therefore, to place the center of the ball 65 slightly below the center of gravity of the combined assemblies. In operation, of course, the user should move the handle with horizontal force for minimum tilting effect.

When it is desired to convert the described device from the mode of operation shown in Figures 1 and 3 to the mode of operation shown in Figure 2, it is necessary merely to retract the latching plunger 41 by manipulation of the button 57 and then relatch the handle in the broken line position of Figure l. The movement of the handle to this second position causes the cam means 42 to shift the pin 43 downward, the final position of the pin being in the latching recess 46 of the cam means. This downward shift of the pin acting through the plunger 15 causes the collar 1|] to enter the recess "ll thereby to immobilize the handle relative to the stator member 32. The handle may then be used to maneuver the horizontally positioned cylindrical member I0 as desired.

An important feature of the invention is that it may be used to process simultaneously a portion of a floor and an adjacent portion of a wall or wallboard. Thus, when the flat end of the cylindrical member is being applied to the floor as shown in Figure 1, the cylindrical member may simultaneously be applied to the wall surface. Conversely, when the periphery of the cylindrical member is applied to the floor as indicated in Figure 2, the flat end may be applied simultaneously to the adjacent wall. Sometimes the skilled worker will have good reason to use a device'in one of these positions for the simultaneous action, and, at other times, will prefer the other position. It is to be especially noted that in either of these positions the cylindrical member may be used to process the floor surface right up to the wall surface, since, in either position of the device, nothing but the soft bristles of the revolving brush can come into contact with the revolving wall. In other words, even when the sole object in employing the invention is to process a floor surface, the described construction is highly advantageous since it inherently prevents damage to the adjacent will surfaces since the wall surfaces are not exposed to any protruding unyielding parts of the device. When a device, in either of its two working positions, is used on a floor in contact with an adjacent vertical wall, the diagonal bristles at the juncture of the disc and cylindrical portions of the cup-shaped member will effectively reach the wall and floor surfaces. If no molding is involved, that is to say, if the wall meets the floor at a right angle, the diagonal bristles will reach into the vortex of the angle. On the other hand, if there is molding at the base of the wall the bristles will yield or flex to conform to the molding, regardless of the molding configuration. Thus the fioor, the molding and the wall surfaces may be swept by the bristles simultaneously. It is apparent, then, that the The feature that gives the device special utility along walls bordering a fioor also affords a safeguard against damaging furniture. In either working position of the device it presents an upright surface of yielding character that will not damagefurniture. Thus inthe working position shown in Fig. 3 any accidental contact with furniture will be made by the bristle-covered cylindrical portion of the device.

My disclosure in specific detail of the preferred form of the invention will suggest to those skilled in the art various changes and substitutions that may be made under my basic concepts, and I reserve the right to all such departures from my description that properly fall within the scope of my appended claims.

I claim as my invention 1. In a fioor processing device of the character described, a driven rotary means having a cylindrical portion and an adjacent circular end portion adjoining said cylindrical portion, yielding surface-treating material mounted on said portions and extending outward therefrom, said yielding material being of rectangular configuration in longitudinal profile with the corners of the configuration substantially filled in whereby with either said cylindrical portion or said end portion resting on the floor adjacent a vertical wall the yielding material will extend to the juncture of the. wall and fioor, said yielding material being of sufiicient depth to conform' by yielding action to the configurations of various moldings at such juncture whereby the device may be used portion resting on the floor adjacent a vertical wall the yielding material will extend to the juncture of the wall and floor, said yielding material being of sufiicient depth to conform by yielding action to the configurations of various moldings at such juncture whereby the device may be used for simultaneously processing contiguous floor, molding and wall surfaces, the length of said cylindrical portion being at least approximately the diameter of said circular end portion whereby the device when moved along the floor will process substantially as wide an area when said cylindrical portion is presented to the floor as when said end portion is presented to the floor, and handle means adapted for manual guidance of the device in said two positions.

3. In a floor processing device of the character described, a driven rotary means having a cylindrical portion and an adjacent circular end portion adjoining said cylindrical portion, yielding surface-treating material mounted on said portions and extending outward therefrom, said yielding material being of rectangular configuration in longitudinal profile with the corners of the configuration substantially filled in whereby with either said cylindrical portion or said end portion resting on the floor adjacent a Vertical wall the yielding material will extend to the juncture of the wall and floor, said yielding material being of sufiicient depth to conform by yielding action to the configurations of various moldings at such juncture whereby the device may be used for simultaneously processing contiguous floor, molding and wall surfaces, and handle means adjustable to one position at an angle to the axis of said rotary means for maneuvering the device with said cylindrical portion presented to the fioor and adjustable to a second position at a lesser angle to said axis for manipulating the device with said disc portion presented to the floor.

4. In a device of the class described for supporting and rotating a processing means such as a brush or the like, a cup-shaped supporting means for said processing means, power means for rotating said processing means including a rotor at least partially Within said supporting means and afiixed thereto and a stator within said rotor, said stator having an axial opening at least partially therethrough, and handle means for directing the movement of said device, said handle means consisting of two legs pi-votally connected, an end of one of said legs being receivable within said opening and being connected within said opening to said stator by a universal joint having a limited range of movement.

5. In a device of the class described for supporting and rotating a processing means such as a brush or the like, a cup-shaped supporting means for said processing means, power means for rotating said processing meansincluding a rotorat least partially within said supporting means and afiixed thereto and a stator within said rotor, said stator having an axial opening at least partially therethrough, and handle means for directing the movement of said device, said handle means consisting of two legs pivotally connected, an end of one of said legs being receivable means for said processing means, power means for rotating said processing means including a rotor within said supporting means and afiixed thereto and a stator within said rotor, a part of said stator forming a ball socket, handle means I including two legs 'pivotally connected, the end of one of said legs forming a ball portion adapted to be received within said socket, and means to limit the rotation of said one leg with respect to said stator.

7. In a device of the class described for supporting and rotating a processing means such as a brush or the like, a cup-shaped supporting means for said processing means, power means for rotating said processing means including a rotor within said supporting means and affixed thereto and a stator within said rotor, a part of said stator forming a ball socket, handle means including two legs pivotally connected, the end of one of said legs forming a ball portion adapted to be received within said socket, means to limit the rotation of said one leg with respect to said stator, and means to releasably lock said one of said legs in a plurality of fixed positions with respect to the position of the other leg.

ENOS A. DETWEILER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 393,192 Thayer Nov. 20, 1888 396,812 Faber Jan. 29, 1889 990,506 Strange Apr. 25, 1911 1,979,527 Bissell Nov. 6, 1934 2,211,603 Lang 1 Aug. 13, 1940 

